


The nation's latest scapegoat

by chick_with_wifi



Category: Batman (Comics), Birds of Prey (Comic)
Genre: Gen, Gotham City - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 14:36:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20341738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chick_with_wifi/pseuds/chick_with_wifi
Summary: A storm causes a power outage, leaving Batgirl and Oracle to deal with the fallout.





	The nation's latest scapegoat

**Author's Note:**

> This is set about halfway through Cass's Batgirl run

On the news channel, Bethany Snow was talking into a microphone while her hair was blown around her face. She looked bedraggled and soaked from the rain, but still narrated cheerfully. 

"Hurricane Jenny is here with a vengeance," she was saying, "and is causing a lot of damage to the -". The television cut off and the room was plunged into darkness.

Barbara looked up from her phone and wheeled over to the window to see that the whole city had suffered the same fate. The weather had been awful for the last few days and showed no signs of improving. A bolt of lightning forked across the sky and she began counting. Five seconds later thunder rumbled in the distance.

Cassandra came into the living room carrying a large candle and placed it onto the coffee table, then sat on the sofa.

"Thank you," Barbara said.

Cassandra smiled, then pointed to the ceiling light with a questioning expression.

"Power outage caused by the storm. It’s the whole city, far as I can tell. No idea how long it will last."

Barbara opened the panel in the wall that led to her command centre, then switched on her backup generator. It wasn’t powerful enough for the whole city, but it would work for her computers. She made sure everything was powering up, but didn’t switch on any lights. Advertising the fact that she had power wasn’t a wise idea. 

In the doorway behind her, Cassandra said, "No Man's Land."

Barbara nodded. It was the same generator she'd used then. "Speaking of, there's probably going to be a lot of problems like there was then. Are you happy to suit up and be my eyes on the ground?"

Cassandra nodded and went to put on her Batgirl suit.

Meanwhile Barbara rolled in under her computer desk and began to investigate what the damage might be. If there was a way to bypass it or reroute power from elsewhere, she wanted to do it as soon as possible.

A few minutes later Cassandra came back into the room and saluted her before swinging out of the window.

Barbara opened a comm line to the tech in her suit but kept it muted for the moment. She hacked into the power grid and investigated if they could tell her anything useful.

Soon she felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees and noticed Batman’s reflection in her monitor. "Don't you knock?"

"Barbara."

"It's Oracle when I'm working," she said without looking at him.

"Oracle. Robin and I will handle crime and traffic. Can you see about getting the power back on and Batgirl help at the clinic?"

"Sure.” She turned to face him. “Did you really come all the way over here to tell me that?"

"I was in the area."

With a flap of his cape he left via the window exactly the same way as Cassandra had done. Barbara couldn't resist a smile. They really were more similar than they thought.

-

"How are we doing?" Oracle asked Cassandra over the comms.

Cassandra looked around. It was much darker than it should be at that time of day and raining heavily, but most people were inside. Which was smart of them. Her Batgirl suit was waterproof and insulated, but she was aware that most people’s clothes weren’t. However, her suit was all black except for the yellow bat outline so she wasn’t the most visible. The only major problems were the cars still on the road and the storm, which was getting closer. The air felt electrically charged and heavy, plus the thunder was becoming more frequent.

"Not bad."

"That's a relief. Can you go over to the Thompkins Clinic? That's where you'll be needed most."

"Okay."

She began walking quickly, having to squint slightly to make everything out through the rain. Ordinarily the street lights would be helping, but all she had then was the occasional flash of lightning.

Due to this, Cassandra didn’t notice the old lady until she almost walked right into her. She was stooped over and walking slowly, with a purple scarf tied loosely over her hair and pulling a wheeled case. Stopping, she looked one way then the other at the road. She wanted to cross.

But the cars weren’t able to slow down. Cassandra gently put a hand on her arm to get her attention, then pointed to further down the road to the crossroads where the traffic wasn’t as congested.

“Oh, thank you dear.”

They carried on walking, then when they got there Cassandra realised why there were gaps in the cars. 

Robin was directing traffic using two long, red flashlights that she recognized as marshalling wands. He stood at the crossroads, raising a wand to stop the traffic going one way as the opposing direction began moving, then stopping them so the other side could go. His brightly colored suit was soaked through and his hair was plastered to his forehead.

Cassandra and the old lady came to a stop at the pedestrian crossing, and Robin nodded to them. He held up both marshalling wands to stop all the traffic, and Cassandra kept hold of the old lady’s arm as they walked across.

Once they were safely on the sidewalk, the old lady said, “Thank you. That was very kind of you. My house is just up here, I’ll be alright now.”

Since Cassandra had just been doing her duty, she clasped her hands and bowed to her. The old lady frowned slightly in confusion, but her smile indicated she was still flattered.

On her way back to the correct side of the road, Cassandra went over to Robin and asked him playfully, "Got a new job?"

"The stoplights aren't working, which is dangerous, so I'm taking over."

"I can tell...from your colors." She pointed in turn at the red, yellow and green on his suit and smiled. He couldn’t see it through her mask but she hoped he got the message.

"That was a good one," Robin said with a laugh. "I'll catch you later."

Cassandra waved goodbye, then carried on her way. She didn’t encounter anyone else for a while, until she noticed a familiar purple silhouette heading the opposite way on the sidewalk. 

It was Spoiler, holding a pile of fabrics. She had her head down, absorbed in her own thoughts, but Cassandra sidestepped so she was blocking Spoiler’s path. 

Initially Spoiler tensed and began saying, “What are you - oh, hey BG.” She relaxed when she saw who it was. 

"Hello Spoiler."

"Do you know what's going on?"

"Power outage."

"I gathered that. I meant, was it caused by the storm or foul play?"

"Storm. You're paranoid."

"Am not!" When Cass didn't respond, she relented. "Okay maybe a little. But to be fair, this is Gotham. We don’t exactly have the best luck when it comes to disasters, natural or otherwise." Spoiler showed her what she was carrying. "I'm taking these blankets to people who might need extra. Gotta go!"

"Bye."

Cassandra carried on and got to the clinic, letting herself in and going to the large room filled with beds where she assumed she would find the doctor. Sure enough, Leslie Thompkins was pleased to see her again.

"Batgirl!" She clasped her hands in front of herself and bowed. Cassandra returned the gesture. "Have you come to help?"

Cassandra nodded and gestured to the pile of large flashlights on the table.

"Yes, please take one of those. I need to help this patient."

Cassandra had already noticed the patient laying on the bed next to her, but was trying not to stare. He had injured his arm and was in a lot of pain. The downside of her ability to read body language meant she could see his pain clear as day and that was not an easy experience.

She held the flashlight aloft and adjusted it as needed without being asked. Dr Thompkins removed the object from the injury, cleaned the area and stitched it up. Cassandra watched the concentration on her face while she worked.

Her entire afternoon was spent like that, following Dr Thompkins around the clinic to help in any way she could and generally acting as an extra pair of hands. Fetching any items that were needed, holding torches and IV bags.

She was willing to remove her mask if Dr Thompkins asked, but it seemed nobody minded a bat in a hospital. They probably had other things to worry about.

In fact, she was so distracted by her work that when Oracle spoke to her later over the comms it startled her. She stiffened a little but didn’t let it show.

"Batgirl," Oracle said. "I've found a way to get the power back on. It should work...now."

Sure enough, there was a quiet whirring sound and the overhead strip lights lit up. A few off the patients cheered, which made Dr Thompkins.

"Ah excellent," Dr Thompkins said. "I suppose you have to be going now?"

Cassandra shook her head. "I want to stay longer." She had missed spending time with the doctor and was sure there would be more patients that could use her help.


End file.
